Monday, June 18, 2012

Audiologists and Hearing Tests: A Crucial Partnership

As you are getting ready for your hearing test, there may be many related and unrelated things flowing through your mind. You may be wondering if it is going to be as simple as a vision test or as uncomfortable as a work physical where you have to receive an injection or have blood drawn. There is no need for you to worry about being uncomfortable during a hearing test. Unless you are suffering from pain in your ears, there is nothing to fear. There are no needles or embarrassing questions. Once you walk through the doors at the hearing center, the staff will make you feel at ease, almost as if you were at home.

As with any kind of medical appointment, there is going to be some paperwork for you to fill out. If you have any health insurance, that information needs to be provided to minimize your out of pocket costs. Once you have turned your paperwork in, you can either wander around and take a look at the hearing aids and other assistive devices that are on display, or you can take a seat and read a book or a magazine.

When the audiologist call your name and introduces themselves to you, take that as a sign that you are in good hands. All of your fears and apprehensions should be left outside in the parking lot. The ear doctor will take a look at your file and ask you some personal questions so they can get a better idea of why you are there, what problems you may be having and to get a more in depth health history on you. Once the interview is over, the hearing test will begin.

During your exam, the ear doctor will run a series of tests that are designed to determine what type of hearing problems you may have. You will be tested on whether or not you can hear certain pitches and tones, if you can feel and recognize sound vibrations from behind your ears and a few other tests as well. Depending on how well or poorly you do on those tests; your audiologist may decide to run more or less tests. Keep in mind that all of the tests are to test your hearing ability and determine if you are going to need some sort of assistance to hear properly or if you are going to need some form of therapy or surgery instead. The audiologist can also tell you if your condition is permanent or temporary.

Once you have been properly diagnosed, your ear doctor will talk to you about your condition and help to educate you about what is going on with your hearing. You will learn more about the different hearing aids that are available for your situation. If you need any help or guidance while you are learning to live with hearing loss, the hearing center is where you can go to receive assistance.

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